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by
Marjolijn Bijlefeld
For
Virginia Business
December,
2003
Paul
R. Thomson Jr. jokes that it took him 20 years to figure
out what he wanted to do when he grew up. His passion
has always been for the law, but since 1966, following
his admission to the Virginia bar, his career has taken
many turns. He’s been an assistant U.S. attorney,
represented a major coal company in a case before the
U.S. Supreme Court and served as a Marine JAG officer.
Paul R. Thomson Jr. |
But
environmental law cases kept finding him. For example,
back in 1972 as a U.S. Attorney in the Western District
of Virginia, he helped successfully defend the Army
Corps of Engineers in a case challenging the corps’
plans to build a dam on the Jackson River in Alleghany
County. “It was a really fun case that involved
wildlife and water resource issues, and was one of the
first environmental cases I worked on.”
More
recently, in 2000, he represented the city of Roanoke
after it was charged with violating the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act for storing hazardous waste without
a permit between 1994 and 1998. The city pleaded guilty.
As part of the resolution, it agreed to sponsor seminars
for 125 municipalities on ways to create environmental
management systems. “We came up with an innovative
way to resolve our differences,” says Thomson.
Municipalities are keenly interested in the topic, he
adds, as “criminal enforcement is beginning to
become much more frequently used” in environmental
cases. “The government doesn’t just want the
company held accountable, but the individual.”
Environmental
management consultant Drew Flynn, of Faulkner and Flynn
in Roanoke, says Thomson’s real strength “is
his extensive experience. He has worked for the government.
He has extensive experience with private industry and
with municipalities. Whatever problem comes up, it seems
like he has already done it.”
Flynn’s
company and Thomson regularly work together. “In
the environmental arena, you’ll have various complex
components coming together — both technical and
legal. So we work side by side with the attorneys in
developing a strategy and comprehensive solution,”
says Flynn.
He
calls Thomson a pleasure to work with. “He respects
our work and work product. He’s very much hands
off on the technical aspects and remains unbiased in
how the technical case comes together.” He’s
also “the master of one-line metaphors,” which
he uses to explain complex issues.
Rick
Weeks, deputy director for operations at the state’s
Department of Environmental Quality, says Thom-son’s
experience saves time for his own clients and Weeks’
department. “He’s always looking out for the
best interest of his client, with an understanding of
what our boundaries are, so we can find solutions for
everyone. That saves a lot of spinning the wheels.”
Thomson
likes to get in on cases as early as possible, which
Weeks says is also an advantage. “We start off
in the right direction. Sometimes problems get created
because people go off in the wrong direction. But he’s
been encouraging local governments to do self-audits.
One of the lessons learned from the whole Roanoke city
enforcement deal is that when localities do these self-audits,
their overall compliance is better and the overall environment
is better as well.”
Thomson
says that’s important to him. A sportsman and “dedicated
fly fisherman,” he enjoys spending time outdoors.
He’s introducing his grandchildren to the sport.
Although he doesn’t get there as often as he’d
like, his favorite fishing spot is Whitetop Laurel Creek
in Washington County.
Return
to Virginia Business - December 2003
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